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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/28425696">In The Middle of Battle, You Cant Feel a Thing</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/liviie/pseuds/liviie'>liviie</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Minecraft (Video Game), Video Blogging RPF</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Ambiguous/Open Ending, Angst, Character Death In Dream, Depression, Fluff, Hurt, Hurt TommyInnit (Video Blogging RPF), No Romance, Not Beta Read, War</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-12-30</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-12-30</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-10 19:15:34</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>2,168</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/28425696</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/liviie/pseuds/liviie</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Tommy fought for a country, yet ended up in a prison right outside it's borders. When it's time, he will escape, but tonight: he dreams of what was.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>No Romantic Relationship(s), Toby Smith | Tubbo &amp; TommyInnit</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>3</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>33</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>In The Middle of Battle, You Cant Feel a Thing</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Tommy stands on the tip of an open valley and smiles at the world before him. Behind him, huffing about how long the trek had been and how annoying it is to haul a jukebox up the hill, is Tubbo, Tommy's best friend and second-hand man. The two arrived at Dream SMP around 2 weeks ago with the promise of more family to come. People known across the lands as warriors and hunters. Tommy's very own brother's were coming along as well, but he has very little estimate on when. Secretly, he has been hoping it'd be soon, but when it comes to those men, no one ever really knows. Wilbur could arrive anytime between tomorrow and 3 weeks, Technoblade and Phil even longer.</p>
<p>"Aren't you excited big man?" Tommy exclaims from his spot, "Our own world!"</p>
<p>"It's hardly ours Tommy, your neighbor's not even 12 blocks away from your house. Plus, Dream exiled your ass as soon as we arrived!"</p>
<p>"Oh no, that's where you're wrong. We just asserted dominance over the green bitch. If he thinks that was bad, he's about to go through hell."</p>
<p>Tubbo rolls his eyes and plops down next to Tommy. Below them, is a steep hill leading into a river. Across that river, is a forest that stretches on for miles.</p>
<p>"I'm going to own all of this someday Tubbo," Tommy laughs loudly then lays back in the cool grass, "Like a landlord! And you're going to help me."</p>
<p>"I don't know. I quite like being on the green bastard's good side."</p>
<p>Tubbo reaches over to where he left the jukebox, only a little bit away, and drags the old piece of junk to where the boys sat. When they were leaving their old home, they couldn't bring much of anything. A sword, some armor, some food, etc… Furniture, no matter how big or small, was a hassle, but Tommy insisted that a jukebox was a necessity. The entire trek from Phil's house to the Dream SMP was with the jukebox in hand.  Now that they made it to the place safe and sound, Tubbo thinks it's only right to listen to a song.</p>
<p>With the box sitting perilously on the edge, Tubbo turns to Tommy, "Alright what music did you bring."</p>
<p>Tommyinnit was many things. The boy is hard headed and explosive, sometimes Tommy is impulsive and impatient. Most of the time, Tubbo is deaf in one ear from how much the other speaks. Tommy is reckless and fast-paced, but Tommy isn't careless. So when Tubbo watches the blonde's usually happy face turn to a stark "oh shit" look, he already knows what happened.</p>
<p>"Oops?" Tommy shrugs.</p>
<p>"You mean to tell me we travelled hundreds of miles hauling this around, yet you forgot to even bring a disc!" Tubbo yells. Furious, but only in the way that after looking at Tommy's humorful smile, he breaks out in laughter. </p>
<p>Tommy shruggs before digging in his bag, "I mean, we can always go look for some creepers and skeletons."</p>
<p>Tubbo glances at the iron sword Tommy unsheathes and rolls his eyes, well aware of his situation. Tommy always does this sort of thing. Half-asses a whole job and makes Tubbo finish it. He should've known nothing was going to change.</p>
<p>"You mean, I'm going to go find them," Tubbo snaps, standing up from his spot. Suddenly, the sky turns from a light blue, to a stark shade of grey, "Tommy you're so- so-so-"</p>
<p>Tommy is taken aback by the change of mood, but stands up anyways. He wasn't about to take shit for no reason, "So what? Say it Tubbo!"</p>
<p>"Selfish!" Tubbo is shaken, and for a moment, Tommy saw a president scolding his favorite citizen instead of his best friend being annoyed, "You're being selfish Tommy!"</p>
<p>Suddenly, there are explosives and screaming. Swords clashing and bows drawing. To the left of Tommy, an arrow embeds itself in stone. Tommy looks up, to see walls building upwards to a dirt roof. Tubbo is still here, but with full iron armour and cuts on his cheek. The once childlike boy was built for war. A war Dream started. A war Tommy dragged him into.</p>
<p>"I'm sorry Tubbo."</p>
<p>The other man smiles at Tommy, "If you were sorry, you would've stopped by now."</p>
<p>"What?"</p>
<p>Sapnap runs into Tommy, tumbling them both into a cave, "Dream's above. We need to get undercover."</p>
<p>Tommy scrambles up and draws his sword, prepared to turn back for Tubbo, but when he turns around, he isn't there, "We don't have arrows, how are we going to kill him?"</p>
<p>Sapnap looks at Tommy, confusion that turns to irritation written on his face, "Tubbo's going to kill him. Don't you remember?"</p>
<p>"Remember what?"</p>
<p>"When this happened the first time. Tubbo saves your disc. Then you, being the ungrateful asshole you are, are going to ignore him until he's useful again."</p>
<p>"What?"</p>
<p>"I said, Dream is coming!" Sapnap yells.</p>
<p>The walls around Tommy began to shake. As if the rumbling could speak, Tubbo's voice boomed from the ravine, "The discs don't matter, Tommy."</p>
<p>Tommy's indicator buzzes with the words "Dream was killed by Tubbo" and the world around them begins to shift. Their clothes change from battle gear to pristine blue and white suits. Around them, grey, tin walls are built up. Tommy knows where he is, but something feels odd. The caravan doesn't feel… normal.</p>
<p>"Tommy," Wilbur comes into Tommy's view, "We're going to build a country!"</p>
<p>A smile breaks the teen's face, "A country?"</p>
<p>"Yes! And I'm going to be the president, and you, Tommy, you're going to be my right-hand man!" Wilbur turns to face more people Tommy didn't notice at first, "And Tubbo! My secretary of state!" </p>
<p>Eret, Jack, Fundy, and Niki congratulate Tubbo for his title as Wilbur continues his speech. The four people are glad to see someone like Tubbo move up in the world. Someone pure and innocent.</p>
<p>"Wilbur, what did Dream say about this?" Fundy asks after calming down.</p>
<p>Wilbur smirks and turns to his son, "Oh he doesn't know. And he won't learn about it until it's too late to stop us."</p>
<p>The van was quiet. Most of them, aware of the risk, but too focused on the reward to care. Tommy, though, finds the risk just as good as the reward. Chaos.</p>
<p>"What shall we call it," Eret asks the room as a whole.</p>
<p>Without missing a beat Tommy answers, "Welcome to Manberg."</p>
<p>Wilbur smiles down at his brother, "No Tommy, L'manberg. My L'manberg"</p>
<p>The world is changing again. This time though, Tommy is ready. He knows what was going to happen next, he can feel it deep in his bones. The second war of the Dream SMP, the fight for independence. Eret's betrayal. The dark walls didn't have to build up for Tommy to see them, he already does every time he closes his eyes. The blackstone smells like mud and the promise of his demise thrums in his chest. Tommy was going to die dragging his family down with him. </p>
<p>The group should've known about Eret's plans. The week preparing for battle, the warrior was always gone. The only times the people of L'manberg saw Eret was during battle plans and speeches. They were there, but never fully. Always using excuses only Tubbo would buy, but the people of L'manberg were anything but distrustful. At the time, at least. The country saw the best in its citizens. So, when Eret led the army into that cramped room, the last thing they thought was going to happen, was a bloodbath.</p>
<p>"You already know what happens next," Eret coos, "You're all going to die."</p>
<p>"Is there a way to stop it?" Tommy asks.</p>
<p>"You already know how. Why won't you do it?"</p>
<p>Tommy wants to scream, but the black walls choke him to silence. The room is too small for the amount of people in it. Tubbo looks so… scared. </p>
<p>"I'm the Vice President, but Wilbur won't listen to me," Tommy explains, "This is his L'manberg, Eret. I have no say in what this country does."</p>
<p>Eret ruffles Tommy's hair with a frown, "You shouldn't watch what I'm about to do."</p>
<p>Tommy looks away. Everyday since the incident, he's been reliving this moment in his head. Although it isn't the most tragic of battles, it is his first big one. The one that starts Wilbur's spiral. The first nail in L'manberg's coffin. Eret's betrayal is the end of Tommy and Tubbo's childhood, and the beginning of a war neither of them are fit to finish. </p>
<p>"It was never meant to be."</p>
<p>The silence between that phrase and the small press of a button is 1.5 seconds long, but to Tommy, that time is infinite. It is long enough to walk up to Wilbur and hug him. Afterwards, when the poison is taking over everyone's lungs and Dream stands above Tommy with his sword drawn, 1.5 seconds is enough time to say goodbye to what L'manberg was meant to be, and hello to what it will become. </p>
<p>As Tommy closes his eyes, Wilbur yelling "10 paces fire," echo in his head.</p>
<p>Dying in Dream SMP is unlike any server he's ever died in. Dying here, is like shooting a gun. It's fast and loud and for that split second, all consuming. When it's over, the adrenaline rush is like nothing you've ever seen. But, like shooting a gun: the reminder to reload is ever present. As Tommy fades to black, the number one flashes behind his eyelids.</p>
<p>Tommy wakes up in crater. He knows what crater. He knows why. Worst of all, he knows who made it. But as he looks up into the blue sky, he doesn't much mind. The future for him is an empty island with no one but Dream. The future for him is Tubbo telling him to leave. Tommy's future is eventually, death. But right now, as he looks up and sees nothing but blue, his <em> now </em> is wide open. Above him on the edge of the pit, Tubbo sits with a jukebox. Without prompt, Chirp fills the air. </p>
<p>"You're going to be a great president, big man."</p>
<p>Tubbo scoffs, "God knows L'manberg needs one."</p>
<p>"It's going to be hard," Tommy tears his eyes away from the blue sky, "Just know I'll never hate you for what you have to do. We've come too far for that."</p>
<p>Tubbo nodded before he too laid down and stared at the blue sky, "Don't get all sappy now Tommy."</p>
<p>Chirp makes Tommy feel like an astronaut. He feels light and happy, as if the weight of the world was set down, just for him to listen. Often, he feels this way around his friends and family. When they won the battle for independence, Tommy felt this way. With Fundy and Tubbo cheering. Chirp made him feel like he was floating in space surrounded by a vast nothing, instead of the rubble of a country. </p>
<p>There was a tug in the back of Tommy's head, trying to drag him back down to Earth. Begging him to come back. And, although Tommy would love to fight tooth and nail to stay, he knows his fate. He's known since he forgot the disk back in the beginning. Home is the only place the war he started, can end. The war of the disks. The war over L'manberg. If he never goes back, then Wilbur died protecting a country he never had the chance of saving. Then Schlatt wins, and Dream and Eret and all the others.</p>
<p>If Tommy doesn't go back now, there will be nothing to go back to.</p>
<p>But here, in this whatever space, Tommy feels like an astronaut. In this crater filled to the brim in broken promises, Tubbo is smiling. They are both smiling. And the memory of Eret feels like a story Wilbur once read. And Theseus doesn't scare Tommy as much as it should. And when Tommy looks down at his arms, he doesn't see black rotting skin from the wither, he doesn't even see scars. Because here in this dream world, his trauma happened and his pain went through, but he is okay. He is fine. In this dream world, Tommy's future hurts, but his past has healed.</p>
<p>"Tommy you have to wake up," Techno huffs, "We have to get out of here."</p>
<p>He knows he needs to wake up, and he will. Just, one more minute. Just one second where he doesn't have to kill a god. One where his best friend is still by his side. Just one more minute until Chirp ends and he will come back down. Until he will pick up the world again, and carry it until Tubbo sets down that god damn juke box and plays that song. </p>
<p>The dream world doesn't play by Tommy's rules though. And soon enough, Tommy gets yanked out and thrown onto the cold concrete. Technoblade smiles from above, "Finally. Let's go Tommy."</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>I haven't written in so long but I thought this would be nice. I have 2 more chapters planned, but I dont really want to write them if no one is going to read them so tell me what you thought. If you have a fanfic you really wanna read but can't write, comment your discord :)</p></blockquote></div></div>
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